The present invention relates generally to an object launcher, and specifically to a single-handed device for engaging the object with the launcher, and more specifically to forming and throwing a snowball using the same apparatus, and most specifically to single-handedly forming a snowball using an apparatus and thereafter using the apparatus to launch the snowball thereby formed.
The art and practice of molding snowballs is well-known. In the simplest embodiments, a person gathers a suitable quantity of snow into her hands and compresses and molds the gathered snow into a ball. The person then may throw it without it “breaking up” because the compressive formation creates a solid snowball. Without the compression, the handful of snow cannot be thrown very far.
There are a couple of disadvantages to the prior art. One is that the person must use his hands to gather and compress the snow. Because the snow is cold and compressing the snow results in a certain amount of melting, the person's hands quickly become wet and cold, often limiting the duration of snowball making and throwing activities. In particularly cold weather, there may be some personal health risk to extended periods of snowball manufacture.
A second disadvantage is that snow varies widely in its density and nature. Some snow requires a great deal of compressive force to form into suitable snowballs. Other snow may be particularly icy and difficult to gather. Snow having nearly ideal conditions for hand formation is not always available, and the quality and duration of snowball formation and throwing activities again may be limited.
The prior art has developed a device to aid in snowball formation. An example of such a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,572 entitled “SNOW BALL MAKING DEVICE” that issued on 14 Jan. 1992. The abstract of the patent describes the device:                A snow ball making device is provided which includes a pair of elongated arms each of which has a first handle end and a second working end. These arms are pivotally secured to each other at a location intermediate their first and second ends, preferably within angled portions which connect longitudinally spaced parallel portions of the respective arms. The working end of each arm is provided with an open semi-spherical cup portion, such that the handle ends of the elongated arms are manipulable to move the semi-spherical cup portions between open and closed positions. In the closed position, the open semi-spherical cup portions are in flush engagement so as to insure the formation of a substantially spherical snow ball.        
This device operates by gathering snow into the two semi-spherical cup portions and operating the two handles using one hand per handle. Operating the handles compresses the snow and forms it into a “substantially spherical” snow ball. The user removes the ball for use. While the device overcomes some disadvantages of using one's hands, there remain disadvantages to using it. These disadvantages include finding a way for the device not to interfere or get lost while throwing the snow ball, and the user is still left with handling the cold, wet snow ball with her hands during throw preparation and launch.
What is needed is another solution to snow ball formation that overcomes some of the disadvantages of the prior art while preserving the benefits.